Saturday, February 11, 2012

After WW-II, in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s,my Grandfather, John Leo McQuaid B1902 and his sons owned and ran the Mansion House Hotel.

The Casino Theater is the building to the left. Before talking films, they showed silent films and used a player piano. In the 1980’s the same player piano was given to my wife, by a lady that sang in the church choir with her. Both of my children learned to play on it. I remember going to see movies, when I was a child, paying 25 cents to get in and 10 cents for a bag of popcorn. I remember buying a Mr. Peanut Bar, I took it into the dark theater. I started eating it, something didn’t feel right. I went out into the light and found it crawling with maggots.The movie would end, and we would exit into the alley, between the buildings.

In 1960, the time of the picture, below, of Main St., there was a Drug store on the left of the Manson House and a Western Auto Hardware Store on the right.

There is a parking lot and Veterans Memorial, where the Mansion House was, today.

Ware Mass., at Christmas time, Main St . looking West, 1960

My Grandfather, John Leo McQuaid B1902, lived in Ware on Clinton St, from 1924 until his death in 1981. You can just see the building at the far left, the 5 &10, were he and his sister worked when he was 18 years old.

This picture was taken while standing in front of the Friendly Ice Cream Shop. I started working there in Jan. 1967, after the death of my father. I would wash the floors and get ready for opening in the morning and work after school.

The Manson House, from the photo above, is just visible, in the center distance, as the street curves to the left.

1960 western Flyer sold by Western Auto

My Father bought me this same bike in the Spring of 1960, for my First Communion. I was seven years old. We walked down Parker St., from Pleasant St, where we lived, through the back parking lot of the Manson House building, pictured above, and into the back door of the Western Auto store. My feet didn’t touch the ground and I never rode a two wheeler before. He held the back, and I rode. He would let go, and over I would go. By the time we got home, I was black and blue all over, between my legs.

I rode this bike everywhere. I remember buying half gallons of Ice cream at Friendly’s, they would put it in a thick paper bag. I would wrap the end of the bag around one of the handle grips and ride 3 miles to my Aunts house.

One day I was flying down the hill into the town pumping station. I fell over and slid about 10 yards on sand. I had a large scrap or burn on my left shoulder and arm. The bike was ok and I walked it home. My mother spent over an hour picking little rocks, from the sand, out of the scrape.

Quabbin Reservoir from the air, over looking Goodnough Dike, one of two dikes that dam the Swift River to form the Reservoir

My Grandfather, John Leo McQuaid B1902, worked on construction of the Dams and Reservoir in the 1930’s.

There is a picnic area, just below the Dike, in the picture above. One night, when I was a Sr. in High school, I was parked at this picnic area, with my girl friend. (present wife of 38 years), The car windows were all fogged up. A police car drives into the picnic area and puts a spot light on my car. It turns out to be my uncle. He still mentions it, when we get together.

Quabbin Reservoir Tower

The forth Sunday of each month, my father had fire watch duty at the Tower. He would take me along.

At the very top of the tower, above where visitors can go, there is a 50MM machine gun mount, that was used during WW-II.

My Father had keys to all of the gates on the reservation. He new where to go to pick concord grapes and apples, that were left after the flooding of the valley.

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I invite my cousins, far and near, to send me family pictures and stories. I encourage you to talk with your Mothers, Fathers, Uncles, Aunts, and Grandparents. Save their info, stories and pictures, and record them for future generations.